Reasons
by punkedpixie
Summary: This is sort of a side-story/prequel to my other HPFic. You don't really have to read this to it to understand. You might want to read this if you've been reading the other. Whatever. Your choice.


Two dark shadows flickered in the dim light of the castle's torches

Two dark shadows flickered in the dim light of the castle's torches. Hushed voices could be heard only by a person within a broomstick's length of them. The pair seemed to be having a heated conversation.

"What if I don't care, Severus? What if I _want _the entire castle to know? I _love_ you, Sev," the feminine voice became louder, angrier.

"I can't put you through that Lily. Avery and Mulciber, they're _evil. _And they don't care if I refuse; I have to do what they want."

"Well, I refuse to leave you alone to face them! How dare you think I'd just walk away while you're forced into this!"

"Lily. They've already told him of me. There is no running away. I want you to be safe."

A choked sob sounded from the girl's distraught body. She flung herself at Severus, clutching feverishly at his cloak. Her entire body shook with her fear and hopelessness. Horrible, rasping breaths tore at her lungs as she tried to calm herself.

"You can't leave me Severus; I would not live another day without you."

"Lily…," the dark haired boy was at a loss. This terrified girl was his entire world, his happiness. He had only to look into her eyes and the decision came to him.

"You trust me, right Lily?"

The girl looked up at him through red-rimmed, tear-filled eyes. Her eyes shifted all about his face, trying unsuccessfully to understand.

"Yes," she answered, shaking, "Why?"

Severus hugged her to him, whispering in her ear, "I will love you until the day I die, Lily Evans."

He pulled her hands from his cloak and gave them one last squeeze. He gently led her out from behind the statue, bringing into view the painting of a large woman in a pink dress.

"Severus?"

The boy let her hands fall to rest at her sides. He turned to walk away, hoping his plan would work tomorrow.

"Severus!"

He looked back at Lily and smiled a little, "Just remember that nothing I do tomorrow is to hurt you. All I want to do is protect you from my 'friends'."

Lily stared as he walked back to the dungeons that were the Slytherin rooms. She only hoped deeply that whatever he had planned would work.

_"All right, Snivellus?" said James loudly._

_Snape reacted so fast it was as though he had been expecting an attack: Dropping his bag, he plunged his hand inside his robes and his wand was halfway in the air when James shouted, "Expelliarmus!"_

_Snape's wand flew twelve feet into the air and fell with a little thud in the grass behind him. Sirius let out a bark of laughter._

_"Impedimenta!" he said, pointing his wand at Snape, who was knocked off his feet, halfway through a dive toward his own fallen wand._

_Students all around had turned to watch. Some had gotten to their feet and were edging nearer to watch. Some looked apprehensive, others entertained._

_Snape lay panting on the ground. James and Sirius advanced on him, wands up, James glancing over at the girls at the water's edge as he went. Wormtail was on his feet now, watching hungrily, edging around Lupin to get a clearer view._

_"How'd the exam go, Snivelly?" said James._

_"I was watching him, his nose was touching the parchment," said Sirius viciously. "There'll be great grease marks all over it, they won't be able to read a word."_

_"You - wait," he panted, staring up at James with an expression of purest loathing. "You - wait..."_

_"Wait for what?" said Sirius coolly. "What are you going to do Snivellus, wipe your nose on us?"_

_Snape let out a stream of mixed swearwords and hexes, but his wand being ten feet away nothing happened._

_"Wash out your mouth," said James coldly. "Scourgify!"_

_Pink soap bubbles streamed from Snape's mouth at once; the froth was covering his lips, making him gag, choking him - _

_"Leave him ALONE!"_

_James and Sirius looked around. James's free hand jumped to his hair again._

_"All right, Evans?" said James, and the tone of his voice was suddenly pleasant, deeper, more mature._

_"Leave him alone," Lily repeated. She was looking at James with every sign of great dislike. "What's he done to you?"_

_"Well," said James, appearing to deliberate the point, "it's more the fact that he exists, if you know what I mean..."_

_"You think you're funny," she said coldly. "But you're just an arrogant, bullying toerag, Potter. Leave him alone."_

_"I will if you go out with me, Evans," said James quickly. "Go on...Go out with me and I'll never lay a wand on old Snivelly again."_

_Behind him, the Impediment Jinx was wearing off. Snape was beginning to inch toward his fallen wand, spitting out soapsuds as he crawled._

_"I wouldn't go out with you if it was a choice between you and the giant squid," said Lily._

_"Bad luck, Prongs, said Sirius briskly, turning back to Snape. "OY!"_

_But too late; Snape had directed his wand straight at James; there was a flash of light and a gash appeared on the side of James's face, spattering his robes with blood. James whirled about; a second flash of light later, Snape was hanging upside down in the air, his robes falling to reveal skinny, pallid legs and a pair of graying underpants._

_Lily, whose furious expression had twiched for an instant as though she was going to smile, said, "Let him down!"_

_"Certainly," said James and he jerked his wand upward. Snape fell into a crumpled heap on the ground. Disentangling himself from his robes, he got quickly to his feet, wand up, but Sirius said, "Petrificus Totalus!" and Snape keeled over again at once, rigid as a board._

_"LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Lily shouted. She had her own wand out now. James and Sirius eyed it warily._

_"Ah, Evans don't make me hex you," said James earnestly._

_"Take the curse off him, then!"_

_James sighed deeply, then turned to Snape and muttered the countercurse. _

_"There you go, he said, as Snape struggled to his feet again, "you're lucky Evans was here, Snivellus - "_

_"I don't need help from filthy little Mudbloods like her!"_

_Lily blinked. "Fine," she said coolly. "I won't bother in the future. And I'd wash your pants if I were you,Snivellus."_

_"Apologize to Evans!" James roared at Snape, his wand pointed threateningly at him._

_"I don't want you to make him apologize," Lily shouted, rounding on James. "You're as bad as he is..."_

_"What?" yelped James. I'd never call you a - you-know-what!"_

_"Messing up your hair because you think it looks cool to look like you've just got off you're broomstick, showing off with that stupid Snitch, walking down the corridors and hexing anyone who annoys you because you can - I'm surprised your broomstick can get off the ground with that fat head on it. You make me SICK."_

_She turned on her heel and hurried away._

_"Evans!" James shouted after her, "Hey, EVANS!"_

_But she didn't look back._

"Severus, you played with fire there. I almost thought you were serious."

The lank haired boy looked hurt, "Lily, did I not tell you I would love you until I die? I would never hurt you."

The two eighteen-year-olds lay side by side on the grassy meadow behind their old neighborhood. Lily's head lay in the crook of Sev's arm, with his hand trailing through her vibrant hair.

"I guess I remembered in the back of my mind, but I was just too confused at the time," the girl sighed, "But who cares about all that? It was almost three years ago and you made it up to me decently."

"I'll say."

The couple remembered the argument outside the Gryffindor Common room and the conversation the next day behind the statue. The girl rubbed her stomach absent-mindedly. Severus noticed and laid his free hand on top of hers, displaying his Dark Mark momentarily. It caused the girl to sigh again, but much heavier this time.

"I only hope this baby will be free from the pain we had to endure," Lily pressed lightly on her stomach, "I hope we will be there to love her."

Severus turned his head toward her, "You know we only have a little more time together before…"

_'Before James,'_ Lily thought, her mind in a whirl, _'Only mere months before this baby is torn from me and I have to side with James to fulfill that stupid prophecy.' _

Severus saw the torment on his best friends' face, tearing at her heart. It ate him alive to think of what they had to do. It was too horrible. There would never be a time when Severus did not love Lily, but he would have to hide it all for the plan to work. Lily trusted Dumbledore, why couldn't he?

Lily rolled to him and kissed his cheek, "We'll worry about all this when the time comes. Let's just enjoy this day together as much as possible, okay?"

She nestled closer to him, her head on his chest and closed her eyes. Her reason to breathe was the beat of his heart and the tiny one inside her. She let his arms wrap around her tighter.

He cared for her more than his own life or anyone else's for that matter. But soon he'd have two reasons for living, Lily and his baby girl.

The sunlight glinted off the necklace on her neck. It was a tiny silver locket with a snake on the front, an ever present reminder of their reasons.


End file.
